This year the focus of Isaiah 61 (i61) was to make known the injustices of slavery among youth. Many young people of the world don’t have a family network to keep them safe and face circumstances of deep poverty. This leaves youth with limited opportunities, which in turn leads them into risky situations that can put them in harm’s way. An estimated 27 million people are caught in a form of slavery today.
This is what Tati Leal-Oliveria, a i61 youth participant, had to say about her experience.
“I couldn’t even imagine that in the history of slavery, right now is the time that there is the most. The I61 conference allowed me to become more aware of what is actually happening outside of the US and right under our own noses… The conference was one the coolest experiences I’ve been through and I can’t wait for next year’s.”
Isaiah 61:1 declares that “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” This was the goal of this years’ conference, to show the youth here in the states that they can make a difference, here and now.
Friday evening we put on an adventure experience that I believe was eye opening to many people who were there. The participants were faced with real life situations that youth around the world face. Then due to their choices in those situations, they ended up at a final destination. Many of them found their “final destination” lead to prostitution, working as an indentured servant, or living on the streets. The youth participants were tricked, manipulated, and deceived into believing they had a better life in front of them. In most instances, slavery was not their choice; the choice they made was rather the promise for a new life or a hope to help provide for family members.
Personally, I was so excited for the opportunity to invest youth over the span of a 15 hour period. It was remarkable how God worked on their hearts to reach out to their brothers and sisters around the world. The passion and drive of youth always excites me because they are the next generation; they are the ones who will help bring change.
There were many aspects of the conference that stuck out to me but none quite as startling as this image to the right. This map shows that the United Sates is one of the chief investors in human trafficking (the country is in very dark blue). Between 600,000 and 800,000 youth are trafficked internationally, with as many as 17,500 people trafficked into the United States. We need to take a stand against this injustice.
Change starts with those who are willing to make change happen. Here are some ways to get involved: contact a state side trafficking ministry, invest in missionaries who are combating this evil worldwide, invest in the youth of your community to take a stand, or raise awareness in your work place or school about the truth of human slavery. I am thankful for people like Ryan Russell, the founder of i61. I am thankful to be a part of YouthHOPE, to speak up for youth who cannot speak for themselves in order to raise up workers and people who will bring change to the youth of the world! Slavery is real and it is now. We are called to bring light to this dark world, why not shine that light in the places where it is darkest!?
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